Monday, June 7, 2010

Observations on the lives of some of my Omani friends

Their life experiences expanded the world for them, and yet they cannot explore beyond a certain border of Omani custom and culture dictated by their own familial and regional affiliations.

Hate that fact as much as it rips their soul and numbs the blood to their hearts maybe... but it takes a certain courage to move beyond all that.

What they want but cannot do... It would not hurt anyone. It would hurt the custom, the culture, and often, not even that a great deal.

It is not exactly cowardice, nor can I count it courageous self-sacrifice when one does nothing to preserve a loathed 'something' even if that something is nothing too evil.

...but neither is it the brave right thing to do either.

"At the bottom of not a little of the bravery that appears in the world, there lurks a miserable cowardice. Men will face powder and steel because they have not the courage to face public opinion."-Edwin Hubbel Chapin

I admire the brave right thing. Bravery is nothing more than the first person who does what everyone else thinks of doing but doesn't.

"Greatness, in the last analysis, is largely bravery - courage in escaping from old ideas and old standards and respectable ways of doing things." James Robinson

I don't compromise very much in life. I am at peace for this reason, with almost all of my actions.

"The opposite of bravery is not cowardice but conformity."-Robert Anthony

Maybe I have to fight a bit more, struggle a bit more, do without a little more, but the peace that comes with it is a very warm heart, and serenity when I look out from my own eyes, and know whatever I think is the right thing to reach for, that I shall reach for it, and hope for it. I won't just say, wouldn't that be nice?

I wish I could give this to some of my friends. For one of my friends who told me their story of how they did something (nothing too drastic) against custom and family I salute you.

I admire bravery, and the truest kind is the kind that sets you free. You might call it selfishness, but self-awareness and acknowledgement of truth is not selfish. It is braver than swimming after some fool in a wadi I assure you.

A post with a poll will follow this post in which I'll be asking other Omani bloggers to help me out with it. I'll work on it tonight maybe?